


Worldbuilding 10: Confrontation

by JoAsakura



Series: X-Force: Mutant Crimes Investigation Unit [9]
Category: MCIU
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2010-10-22
Updated: 2010-10-22
Packaged: 2017-10-12 19:54:53
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,167
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/128458
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/JoAsakura/pseuds/JoAsakura
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Shatterstar and Sage circle around shared history.</p><p>Worldbuilding #9 was a discussion of Mojoworld. Not even remotely ficish, alas.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Worldbuilding 10: Confrontation

Scene: A community center somewhere in Two Bridges, NYC

The children are a variety mix: an uneven line of skin tones, heights and gender unified by their matching t-shirts and fierce determination as they move through their forms. It's a Saturday, the sun is shining in through the high, dusty windows and the gymnasium echoes with "HAA!" as some hit the pads their partners are holding.

It's almost the end of their class, and parents have gathered on the fringe. A large number of them aren't watching their kids learn the finer points of jeet kune do, though. They show up to watch the instructor. At six-three, he towers over the kids, unruly scarlet bangs held back by a hair band and a weird tattoo on his face. He treats the children like little warriors and answers even the strangest questions with a straight face. The kids love him.

The parents (mostly mothers, but a few of the dads as well) just like to watch him bend over.

"Alright, that's it for today." Sifu Ben says, leading the kids through their bow out. "Remember, next week I won't be here. My friend James will be here instead and will go over some grappling with you all. Treat him with respect, ok?" The kids all laugh.

"Sifu Ben" as the kids call him, noticed a face amongst the parents out of the corner of his eye. A face that was neither unfamiliar nor belonging to these surroundings. A woman with jet black hair and pale skin, her eyes hidden behind dark sunglasses.

She lingers behind after the kids leave, and 'Star gathers up his own things. "Sage." He says finally. "What brings you to New York?"

Scene: Two mutant cops walking the beat.

It's a beautiful, crisp Saturday, which means Adam X is bitching a blue streak. He resents a number of things, all of which he's busily cataloging to his hapless partner, Guy. The fact that they're the newbies means they have to work the weekends. The fact that Cable is making them do beat rounds in punishment for Shatterstar having to break up Adam's little altercation with Rictor. The fact that Shatterstar is ignoring him.

Guy tuned him out about an hour ago, thankful for the helmet which hides his bored expression. A couple of teenagers have come up to him during their "patrol" through Chinatown, thinking that some Kamen Rider episode was being filmed in the city. Guy likes to pretend.

He only notices that Adam's stopped yammering because Adam's also stopped walking and Guy almost runs into him. "Adam, what the hell?" Guy pokes him in the arm and the big blonde slowly turns to look at him. "I just saw 'Star go into that coffee shop with a woman." He says finally, somwhere between disbelieving and evil glee. "He won't give me the time of day, but he'll cheat on Rictor with a woman?"

"There's a really broad line between love and stalking, Adam. We've discussed which side of it you're on." Guy mutters. "Besides, how can you be sure it was him?"

Adam only responds to that with a withering glare.

Scene: A coffee shop in chinatown. Sage is sipping a bubble tea while 'star gets a plain cup of nearly jet-black coffee.

"You didn't come all the way from England to apologise for how you treated my teammates when we were working with Excalibur." 'Star says, taking a sip, watching her emotionless face.

"That hurts, Shatterstar." Sage says calmly. I was here on business, and I happened to..."

He cuts her off with an exasperated noise. "You've come to talk to me about Benjamin Russell." It's not a question, and Sage's facade cracks for a moment.

"You're a little smarter than I've heard." She says after a moment.

"I get that alot." 'Star scowls at his coffee. He doesn't like Sage for reasons he can't fully explain, and he's certain it's mutual.

She recovers her mask and sips thoughtfully for a moment. "I've come to ask you who you are, actually." She says, then. "Are you Benjamin Russell or are you Gaveedra*7?"

There's a flash of memory, just at the edge of 'Star's vision and he wishes he could grab ahold of it. She wants him to be uncomfortable, he gets that, so he grins- something fierce and unsettling over the edge of his coffee cup. "I'm both of them and I'm neither. I'm Shatterstar."

Scene: Two mutant policemen ignoring their otherwise assigned duties.

"This is wrong, Adam." Guy says, trying to look as inconspicuous as a guy with grey skin, antennae and a full suit of tactical body armour can look in the middle of chinatown.

"This is not wrong." Adam says firmly, crouching down in front of the coffee house window. In truth, the only reason anyone pays either one of them any mind at all is because they're blocking foot traffic. "This is investigating. We're law officers now. We investigate things." Although it sounds like he's trying to convince himself.

Scene: A lull in conversation and you can hear Sage's sharp breath for just a second.

"I'm a child born of two dead men, Sage." 'Star takes another sip of his coffee, considering. He's faced foes more frightening than her. But not by much. The woman radiates a dead cold that makes him want to shrink away. "Midwifed into existence by Spiral and Longshot." He watches her, tiny tics of movement at the corner of her lip. Being friends with Cypher's made him much more aware of the minutiae of body language and he realises as they sit there in extended silence that this terrifying woman is afraid. Of him.

No. Of who he was.

But she's afraid and if this were another foe, he would press that attack and make her break. But Sage is unpredictable and a telepath and frankly, he's afraid too. So 'Star takes another approach. "What did I do to you, Sage? What did Ben Russell do to you?"

"I think you've got it a little wrong." She says. "It's what you're capable of that worries me."

There's a note in her voice that invites a question, but 'Star pushes away from the table instead, too hard and the coffee sloshes around. She doesn't follow him when he stalks out, pausing at the door. "Don't come back here, Sage. Or I *might* show you what I'm capable of."

She only sips her bubble tea in response.

Scene: Falling over each other.

"'Star, are you ok?" It's the most sincere thing Guy has ever heard come out of Adam's mouth. Shatterstar doesn't look good to his eyes either, fair skin faintly ashy.

"I'm fine Adam." he says quietly, hoisting his duffel bag. "and I'm not even going to ask what the hell you two were doing."

Guy and Adam exchange a look and 'Star shakes his head. "I'm going home. I need to go home." He says, barely audible amongst the street noise.


End file.
